They work tirelessly all day under the harsh rays of a blazing sun, the stench of death and destruction around them. They are a team of Jewish heroes who are working around the clock with one mission: the recovery of human bodies.

The SA Friends of the Beit Halochem Zahal Disabled Veterans Organisation was established in Johannesburg in 1982, its primary goal being to help and support Zahal disabled veterans by raising funds to help them return and resume their normal lives as soon as possible.

There’s a popular weekly satirical show in Israel called Eretz Nehederet. In a recent episode, an actor playing Benny Gantz, the former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and newcomer to Israeli politics, is asked how he’s feeling.

Devotion to the cause of the State of Israel flourishes in the most unlikely places, even in societies where the Jewish presence is small to non-existent. Such is the case in Mozambique, where the work of Beth-El Associacao Crista Amigos De Israel - Mozambican Christian Friends of Israel - testifies to how much can be achieved by those inspired by their Christian faith to promote the Israeli cause, despite adverse conditions.

JNF’s unique “Blue Boy Box” now lives at King David Linksfield Pre-Primary so that children of each generation learn the importance of tzedakah (charity or welfare). It is the responsibility of Jews all over the world to build Israel, develop it and nurture it as the home of the Jewish nation

“Knowledge is Light” was our school motto when I was a child in Durban. The importance of education was made clear to us from as far back as I can remember. It wasn’t taken for granted. A good education was a privilege.

(JTA) Norwegian rapper not charged with hate speech
A Norwegian rapper who cursed Jews while performing at an event in Oslo promoting multiculturalism will not be charged with hate speech, because his words may have been criticism of Israel, prosecutors said.

Did Israeli soldiers violate international law by deliberately targeting unarmed children, journalists, health workers, and people with disabilities during the past year of violence along the Israel-Gaza border?

(JTA) After the New England Patriots beat the favoured Kansas City Chiefs to reach their third straight Super Bowl – their amazing ninth in less than 20 years – CBS sports analyst Boomer Esiason made an intriguing statement, namely that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

We are winging our way towards Human Rights Day (21 March), the first public holiday of the year, which coincides with Purim. I can’t help but wonder about our concept of human rights and what it means, not least of all, to our government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed in parliament last week that South Africa intended to downgrade its diplomatic presence in Israel. The foreign affairs bureaucracy was working “feverishly” on the matter. “The decision to downgrade the embassy in Israel is informed precisely by the violation of the rights of Palestinians and we are therefore putting pressure on Israel. But at the same time, we are saying we are willing to play a role and ensure there is peace,” said Ramaphosa.

Undeterred, and in spite of the hate-filled disparagement that spewed forth when Shashi Naidoo uttered positive comments about Israel and Jews last year, Haafizah Bhamjee penned a reasoned and sensible article on Israel and the Palestinians in the SA Jewish Report of 22 February.

With Prince William’s historic visit to Israel this week, all eyes have been trained on the Jewish capital. It may have taken 70 years, but the first official visit by a member of the British Royal family began in Israel on Monday, when William, the Duke of Cambridge, arrived in Tel Aviv.

Some 5 600 emissaries (shluchim) from Chabad-Lubavitch from all over the world gathered at the Pier 8 warehouse in Brooklyn, New York this week for the opening of their four-day annual international conference and banquet, 75 years after the arrival of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, from Europe.

One of the questions that haunts the story of Purim and moves silently through the lines of the Megillah is clear and chillingly simple: How could Jews have chosen to remain in Persian Shushan? It was so clearly an environment in which anti-Semitism was so prevalent that a genocide could be planned and almost implemented without comment by broader society.

“The greatness of our nation is that our people are great. We are a nation of heroes, of people with good and decent moral fibre who will not tolerate our country being plundered!” So said Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in Pretoria this morning.“This is a struggle for accountability and justice,” Goldstein told the crowd (which included prominent Jewish CEOs like Adrian Gore, Stephen Koseff and Michael Katz). “This struggle is about sovereignty. The power of the people always triumphs in the end.”

UOS Congregations

SA in ‘titanic fight between good and evil’

“The greatness of our nation is that our people are great. We are a nation of heroes, of people with good and decent moral fibre who will not tolerate our country being plundered!” So said Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in Pretoria this morning.“This is a struggle for accountability and justice,” Goldstein told the crowd (which included prominent Jewish CEOs like Adrian Gore, Stephen Koseff and Michael Katz). “This struggle is about sovereignty. The power of the people always triumphs in the end.”

by
ANT KATZ | Nov 02, 2016

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein addressed masses of religious‚ business and civil society leaders at a press briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday morning prior to a march of thousands in the Capital opposing state capture which was arranged by Save South Africa – led by prominent businessman and activist Sipho Pityana.

“This is a titanic fight between good and evil. We must fight corruption and state capture,” said the Chief Rabbi, who was one of only five speakers and spoke in his capacity as an executive member of, and representing, The National Religious Leaders’ Council.

The rally had originally been called in support of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, “but after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) dropped their charges yesterday, it became a rally against State Capture and Corruption,” Goldstein told Jewish Report Wednesday.

“This is a struggle for accountability and justice,” Goldstein told the crowd (which included prominent Jewish CEOs like Adrian Gore, Stephen Koseff and Michael Katz). “This struggle is about sovereignty. The power of the people always triumphs in the end,” said Goldstein.

The main issue of State Capture is one of sovereignty, said Goldstein. It is one of the risk that the government of South Africa "is under threat of being put into the hands of a few families."

Rabbi Goldstein remains positive and hopeful for the future of SA, he says. It is a free country, he told Jewish Report, “and we are not going to take this lying down – it is an important step on our road of freedom.

“All good people of South Africa must come together to fight corruption and state capture,” he said, and there were enough good people to do so. “The greatness of our nation is that our people are great. We are a nation of heroes, of people with good and decent moral fibre who will not tolerate our country being plundered!” Goldstein said.

The other four speakers included Pityana, who said: “We have to come to terms with the fact that for as long as we have President Zuma as president of the country, it is not possible to turn the situation around.” The chairman of AngloGold Ashanti and organiser of the march said: “We’ve told him that we believe he is no longer deserving to lead this country.”

Standard Bank co-CEO Sim Tshabalala said that “the importance of being here is to stand up and say … we don’t like and what we don’t stand for, which is the inappropriate use of state institutions and corruption.”

Another speaker was Cheryl Carolus, a former ANC leader, who said: “Our county is in crisis. We could have done a lot better if there was leadership. Our government and our ANC is missing in action.”

Rabbi Goldstein said the fight against corruption is really a battle between good and evil. “South Africa is at a crossroad.” He said afterwards, “between the forces of good and evil – justice and freedom versus corruption.”

2 Comments

2
Choni
13 Nov

After reading the the third verse in Lech Lecha. I became convinced that as long the S.African government votes against (curses) Israel at the U.N. it will be cursed. Drought, crime, Aids, education, financial problems etc.etc.etc. are manifestations of the curses it is going through. So I would suggest our (religious) leaders point this out to the government.

1
Hillel
26 Jul

After reading the News24 article on the Gupta Minyan, I think the chief Rabbi has an obligation to stand up and tell SA society that what these men have done is not part of Jewish values, but I dont think he has the guts.